For the second straight game, Rivera was sent home because the stellar Yankee closer is suffering from “some kind of stomach virus,” according to manager Joe Torre.

On Thursday and again yesterday, Rivera was told to leave Yankee Stadium before game time. Yesterday, he visited Dr. Lewis Schneider, a gastroenterologist in Manhattan. Results of the visit were not made available.

“He was ill (Thursday), and he’s not much better,” Torre said before last night’s 2-0 loss to Toronto.

Rivera hadn’t thrown since April 21, when he closed out a 4-3 victory in Toronto. There hasn’t been a save situation since, but when Torre was asked if Rivera began feeling sick on Thursday, he said it was, “I think the other day.” It was unclear if Torre meant Wednesday or Tuesday.

“(Thursday) we sent him home,” Torre said. “He wasn’t able to keep anything down.”

Torre said Rivera wasn’t nauseous yesterday but was achy. The manager knew his closer wouldn’t be useful last night and had no idea when he could be available again.

“I think it depends on when he gets back to normal,” Torre said.

*

Torre said Ruben Sierra (partial right biceps tear) is already fine hitting left-handed and entertained the possibility the team could use him in that role until he becomes 100 percent healthy. Sierra is eligible to come off the DL on May 6.

“Sure, we could do that,” Torre said. “But let’s see if that’s the smart thing.” . . . Tanyon Sturtze will pitch an inning in a minor-league game for Tampa today, and Torre said he’d go two or three innings on Monday. Sturtze is eligible to come off the DL on Monday, but the manager believed that would happen Wednesday or Thursday instead.

*

Before last night’s game, Jaret Wright (right shoulder strain) received a cortisone shot administered by team physician Stuart Hershon. Wright still plans to fly to California for a second opinion with Lewis Yocum – the surgeon who performed his two shoulder surgeries – on Monday.